Lawn Help!
ojskeed
Posts: 1
I have a small shaded garden, which until today was covered with weeds, mostly brambles. I have had the lawn cleared back to the soil and want to lay a lawn with seed.
I have not got the physical wherewithal to clear the roots manually, and cannot get a rotivator in due to access issues (which is also why I can't really consider turf). I was wondering whether, if I lay a sheet of impermeable membrane and some weedkiller pellets, I could lay the new lawn next Spring?
I would really appreciate some advice from folks that may know as I don't really want to lay out the expense of the materials if ultimately it is not going to work.
I also wondered if I laid the seed on the soil now, would it crowd out the weeds eventually if I kept it cut down?
Any assistance would be hugely appreciated
Posts
Get the right grass seed first, if you go the garden centre and get seed for shaded lawns that will be the start. If you do have physical difficulties then you can sow now, but seeded lawns shouldn't be treated with a weed and feed until they are a year old. Putting down weed killer now won't achieve anything and covering with a membrane won't stop weeds growing back. They just lay dormant underneath. Perfect instant lawns are the stuff of TV shows unless you can afford the top quality turf and can do the ground work first. Seeded lawns take a few years to get right, so patience is the key. If you can manage to level and tread the ground to give a good seed bed, then do it. You will get weeds no matter what you do, so be patient and you can treat the lawn year after next as it's best done in spring. Now is the best time to sow grass seed. Save the money and be patient.
Dave's right. I'd also add that the aspect of your site isn't going to be ideal for grass - even using seed suitable for shade. Make sure you've given enough thought to the maintenance of it in future because you may end up spending a lot of your time keeping weeds at bay if you want the grass to look good.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I was amazed sowing mine in April. All the weeds sprouted first and it looked terrible. But then the grass finally germinated and despite looking ropey to begin with, got stronger and stronger. Now it's out competing the weeds. Will add weedkiller next year but impressed that I've got an established lawn already.